Sad and Feeling Bad

Well we have been home for a couple of days now and although I feel relieved not having to go to the hospital for a while I feel so incredibly sad. Chris is feeling miserable his stomach is in severe pain and I don't know what to do about it. I called his doctor and left a message. We have tried everything. He is having a feeling of just like a rock on his stomach and has been dry heaving. He is suppose to go do blood work today but he doesn't think he can make the 30 minute drive. I guess we will try tomorrow. I feel so bad I cannot help him feel better. I just don't know what to do. I don't know how I am going to make it the next 2 months, I keep worrying about ,what if the cancer  continues to grow.. Why oh why do I continually think the worst? Why couldn't we just know tomorrow? To make matters worse I had a lady tell me recently she went through biochemo successfully only for her Melanoma to come back full force a few months later. Thanks lady  I hate this so much.

All Finished!

Well they are letting Chris go home today yay!!! We are now just waiting for the IV therapy team to come and remove Chri's PIC line out of his arm. I know that will be a relief for him!!  Please pray for patience for me as the next 8 weeks are just gonna be tough. It seems all I do is wait. I hate cancer so much!!! Thank you for going through all of this with me! I will keep you updated periodically the next few months until we go back for testing. I am scared and excited and relieved feeling all at once.

Love you all!

xoxoxoxox

Kendra

Last Treatment Days 3 and 4

Well not too much is going on. Chris has been sleeping pretty hard the last few days. I don't blame him. He has gained about 10 pounds in fluid and is pretty red. Also he has thrush but they have been giving him something that melts on his tongue to get rid of it. I am so excited that this is the last treatment. I will definitely not miss spending every 2 weeks here. Although I must admit I have grown fond of several staff members and I will miss them. The nurses here are the best ever. Chris has one more full night of Biochemo tonight minus the Cisblastin and tomorrow he will only have the Interferon. I can't believe the whole summer passed away so fast and November will be upon us in no time. November 4 is our Anniversary! 11 years. Wow! It wasn't easy and we certainly have had our share of struggles not including our current one but I am so proud we have stuck with it. I am more in love with Chris than the day I married him. I think we make an awesome team! :D 
I keep thinking about having to wait for 8 weeks to know what's going on with Chris. I just have to give it all to God and know he will take care of us.  I am happy that at least the wait will be going on during Nov and Dec, I will have lots of Holiday things to do to distract me.
   Anyways in other news I have smoked only One cigarette today  and yesterday I smoked only One and 1/2. I really don't want one until after I eat. Hopefully by the time we leave (hopefully Tuesday) I will be smoke free and stay that way! Oh and guess who won Bingo 4 times today!!!!!! Me!!!!!!!!!  I was so excited!! I won a Scrabble board game, a pretty scarf, one of those hard plastic drinking cups with straw, and a 5.00 gift certificate. That made my day!! :D  Anyways well let me stop because I think I might be rambling.
All my love
xo
k

Day 2 of last treatment

Well not much going on today, Chris has mainly been sleeping in between visits from the nurse to give him medicine and blood pressure checks from the CNA's. This week Dr. Kim is Chris's rounding doctor and he came in and told Chris that his blood work from yesterday was fine and he shouldn't have to have a blood transfusion this round. So that's good.  I haven't been feeling very good I think the chantix is making me sick. I have only smoked 2 cigarettes today though so that's wonderful. Its been so embarrassing to me that here I am with a husband fighting for life against cancer and I have been choking down smokes. I actually have taken Chantix before and it worked well but I ended up back smoking. Ugh. The first time I took it, it took about 10 days for me to quit but I see this time it will alot sooner,cigarettes are already starting to taste really really bad!  Oh last night I got up to use the bathroom and discovered our bathroom was starting to flood! Omg! Luckily maintenance came right up and fixed it. I would have hated to wake up this morning in a foot of water. Anyways that whats going on! Please keep praying for Chris.
xo
k

Day one of Last Treatment

Well today has been quite a day. We left this morning at around 8 and arrived at the hospital at around 12:30. We had to ride a shuttle to Chris's first appointment at the Mohs Clinic and by 1:45  (his appointment was at 2:00)I was a tad worried when we arrived back to where we were picked up, I asked if we missed our stop but apparently the shuttle driver forgot to go there on his round... humph. Anyways we finally get there and if you remember from my previous post I wasn't sure what we were doing there except to meet with a surgeon. Well apparently they didn't know why we were there either. So after an hour and a half of trying to figure things we were told that Chris was there to get another better and deeper biopsy of a mole on his ear.. but he should wait until after Chemo to have it done.. So that appointment was kind of a waste of time and also made us late for the next two appointments!  We got back to the Main hospital and Chris gave up a little blood and had his chest X-rayed. We finally met with Dr. Patel and she told us that is was Amazing Chris was on his sixth treatment.  They are going to lower his dose of cisplatin because of  hearing loss and also lower the vinblastine due to the start of nerve damage in his fingers and toes. Dr. Patel said after the end of his treatment they wouldn't schedule him back for tests for another 2 months.  They said there was no point in doing anything any sooner because even if the treatment does not kill the cancer or it continues to grow, Chris will be too weak to handle any other kind of treatment at that time. So we will have to wait 8 weeks after this last treatment to find out anything. Its going to be so nervewracking and I don't know if I will have the patience to wait that long!
Anyways  I am trying to make this short I have an awful headache and need some sleep. Oh! I am on day 2 of chantix!!  Go me! :D I hope your all doing well continue to pray and I will continue to update. All my love.
xo
k

Chris's Fundraiser.. I am still in Awe.

Well the fundraiser has come and gone and I am still feeling the love and kindness resonating through me as if we were still there. I just can't thank everyone enough. God just keeps on answering our prayers over and over again. Its just so overwhelming. The Nakatosh Priesthood REALLY out did themselves and they cooked some of the best jambalaya that I ever had. Chris was nervous about going as he doesn't really like being the center of attention but when he got there and saw everything and everyone his anxiousness disappeared. From our dear friends and family who stopped by and passersby's who donated  to the cause, we are just so thankful. You have no idea how much this has helped us not only financially but spiritually. I still get happy tears every time I think about the kindness of the whole event. It was Awesome. We couldn't have asked for a better day. The sun was shining and this was the BEST Chris has looked or felt in months!

My beautiful friend Mandi and her way Awesome shirt!

Oh the food was so GOOD!

Chris was all smiles! He looked so good!

My lovely friends Vanessa and Mandi

I was so thrilled to see my cousin Karen and Aunt BooBoo! That's my daddy on the right!

Chris and I with the Nakatosh Priesthood, they are AWESOME!

Chris with my cousin's Adrian and Carolina

Serving up food

Chris Visiting with Family and Friends

Ragan and Mandi posing with Chris and I

Chris watcha looking at!? With the Nakatosh priesthood and our mommies!

Working hard!

Chris and his Sister Susan

Chris our nephew Phillip, Sister Susan, Nephew Matt, and Susan's Bf Matt

Ok he is looking in the right direction now!

Chris and his Mom

Me and my love :D

Aunt BooBoo, Karen, Me, and Chris

Suzy, Susan and Stacy lookin pretty

I just want to thank everyone again we are beyond grateful. We love all of you so much.
xo
k

Eating like a piggy

I know its been a while since I have written an entry, sorry about that. Everything has been OK the past week. We have had lots and lots of company and I have just tried to stay busy and keep my mind off  of stuff. Tomorrow is the Jambalaya lunch fundraiser, I can't wait to see family and friends and eat some yummy food! Speaking of food, Chris has been eating REALLY well!! Normally at this time he would be in day 2 of Chemo but since he got the extra week at home his appetite has absolutely picked up. I need to buy a battery for my scale to see if he has gained any weight. I can't really tell by looking at him, he is still pretty skinny. The hospital called the other day and Chris has a new appointment with a surgeon before he admits to the hospital. I see that she is a plastic surgeon so I'm  THINKING that means that maybe the tumor in his sinus will maybe be able to be operated on?!? I don't know.. but I do know they would probably have to go in through the front of his face hence the plastic surgeon.  I really need to get to the phone first when the hospital calls so I can ask these kind of questions. Husbands! humph! :D  I actually called to ask but it just went to the nurses voicemail, so I guess we will find out Tuesday.  Since Chris's appetite is back I was hoping his strength would too, but it seems he is feeling pretty tired and weak, I know his bones are working hard to make more blood, I just hate that he gets so winded so fast. Anyways loves that's that! Please keep praying as Chris moves into his last Treatment. I am so scared but so full of hope all at once. I pray pray pray this works!!
xo
k

Its a small world.

Well Chris is still getting his appetite  back slowly but surely and seems to be feeling a little better today. Our friends Kim and Kevin came over today and presented Chris with a video game that he really wanted, how cool was that? It put a big fat smile on his face and now he has something to look forward to doing while stuck at home for the next few weeks. MD Anderson never called back with the results of Chris's blood tests so I am assuming everything is good for now.

Well I wanted to ask a favor from everyone. On our second round of treatment at MD Anderson I was with my sister in law and she bumped into a client from the salon she works at Named Stacey Rachal.(small world huh?) Now Stacey was on the same floor as Chris and was with her sister who is also has Metastatic Melanoma. Recently they received disheartening news that she has now developed leptomeningial disease click HERE to find out more about what this is. I just want to ask all of you to pray for Stacey, her sister Robbin Friday Tucker and for their family. I have been crying for the last hour my heart hurts so bad for her. So please add her to your church prayer list and lets hope for better news their next trip to Houston!

xo
k

A positive attitude is half the battle.

Well today was a nice day. We had got to visit with Chris's little sister from Florida this morning and then we visited with some more friends later on in the day. Also our nephew Matthew, came home today from his deployment in Afghanistan! We wanted to greet him when he got off the plane but Chris's stomach was still hurting really bad and  just couldn't endure the car ride there and back. Hopefully we will see him soon!
 Chris's mom brought him some pine nut oil, it's suppose to  help protect and soothe the stomach. He really could tell a difference after taking it and he is actually  starting to feel a little better. It was funny to me today when his little sister, who hadn't seen him since he was diagnosed, turned and said to me " Omg I thought he would be a lot worse.." Well that's because Chris has an amazing attitude and is in such great spirits you can almost forget he has cancer. He is so Awesome. Everyone tells us a positive attitude is half the battle and I believe it.  He is fighter and he will keep on fighting, I love him so much!
Keep us in your prayers and please join us Oct 15 for Chris's fundraiser. I am still in awe that this was put together for Chris, its such a blessing!
xo
k